Show Me
Created for Relationship: A pastoral vision for consent and respectful relationships education in catholic schools
Reverend Associate Professor Jamie Calder, Professor Daryl Higgins, Dr Gabrielle Hunt, Dr Janine Luttick
Victorian Catholic Education Authority
Consent and respectful relationships education is an important component of safeguarding and the prevention of sexual abuse and other interpersonal harms. Within Catholic education, however, there is also a need for this work to be grounded in a clear theological understanding of the human person, relationships, dignity, agency, freedom and responsibility. The theological framework developed through this project positions CRRE not simply as compliance or harm-prevention activities, but as part of the broader mission of Catholic education to foster relationships that are life-giving, humanising, and attentive to the dignity of every person.
The project responds to this need by bringing Christian theological anthropology into dialogue with contemporary evidence from safeguarding, child development and child maltreatment research. Its vision is to strengthen the capacity of Catholic educators to understand and communicate why CRRE matters, while supporting educational approaches that recognise children and young people as developing agents within relationships and communities.
The project is led by ACU’s School of Theology (Faculty of Theology and Philosophy), in partnership with the Institute of Child Protection Studies (Faculty of Education and Arts). It brings together expertise from theology, child safeguarding, psychology and education, with all team members working collaboratively to develop materials for educators and school communities.
Our overriding focus is to integrate theological reflection with contemporary evidence on child maltreatment, respectful relationships, consent, power, agency and prevention. To make this complex content more accessible, we are translating this evidence into material that can support teacher formation, professional learning and educational practice. Using these materials, educators will be able to engage confidently with CRRE content and delivery.
The primary users of the project outputs will be teachers, educators, school leaders and others responsible for supporting respectful relationships and consent education in Catholic schools.
Over time, the project aims to contribute to stronger safeguarding cultures within Catholic education, where CRRE is understood as integral to the dignity, agency, wellbeing and flourishing of children and young people.
Safeguarding Children and Young People Portal
In development – stay tuned
August 2025 – November 2026
Professor Daryl Higgins: [email protected]
We're available 9am–5pm AEST,
Monday to Friday
If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.